Macklemore Accuses Madison Square Garden and Eight Other Arenas of Banning His ‘Free Palestine’ Tour

On Friday, rapper Macklemore took to Instagram to claim that nine major U.S. music venues are refusing to host his "Free Palestine" charity tour, stating, "In over 20 years of touring, I've never experienced anything like this." The musician began by praising his recent "Free Palestine" shows in Dublin, Paris, and London, calling them "three of the most beautiful I've ever been a part of" and thanking the attendees.

However, he disclosed that his original plan to bring the tour to the United States has hit a roadblock. "After weeks of reaching out, nine major American arenas have turned us down," he wrote, naming Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center, and Climate Pledge Arena.

Representatives for the nine venues did not respond to requests for comment. Macklemore revealed that he had been offered available dates at these venues through the end of the year, but once they discovered the shows were for a benefit for Palestine, the opportunities vanished. He expressed his disappointment, stating, "The doors were closed.

The conversations were all different, but the result was the same. The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues." Macklemore emphasized his commitment to standing up for Palestinian human rights, saying, "I'd rather lose every opportunity in this industry than spend another day protecting people who value their business relationships with Israel more than they value Palestinian human life."

He questioned the values of those with significant wealth, saying, "We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech. Yet we've reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending." The rapper's comments followed his removal from Ed Sheeran's Loop tour in mid-September due to pro-Palestinian statements he made on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.